PRACTICAL PARSIMONY: book

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Sunday, November 11, 2018

SAD and Free Things Last Week and Onions

Sunday was mid 50s and damp feeling and sunless. I was not comfortable at all. The lack of light greatly affects me, more so lately.

Last week, I saw a shelf full of free books. I chose a Dean Koontz book, not knowing anything about the author or book. I have heard of him, but I don't remember what. I read fourteen pages and have not picked it up since. It is in the car, so I may read it there when I have a few moments to waste.

I planted twenty yellow onions Sunday. Thinking I could just pull out the weeds from the pot of bought soil, I did not wear gloves. I ended up with dirt under my fingernails as I had to put my hand in the dirt and pull out the roots. This pot has the free iris given to me. Now, it has onions, too. I hope onions and iris are compatible. I don't mind my hands being dirty, but I hate dirt packed under my nails.

The bag said these onions are to be planted during the fall for a head start on spring vegetables, but people tell me I should not plant now, to wait until spring. So, I have another 100 onions to plant somewhere.

At the lunch this week, I was talking to the woman who gave me the succulent, asking her about it. As we left she asked me if I liked to read. I assured her I did as she opened her purse to half a dozen books. When she asked if I like romance or mystery, I assured her that I like anything other than romance. I received Debbie Macomber's "The Trouble with Angels." I may not read this and give it back to her.

Then, she asked me if had gotten cards as she shuffled though a bunch of cards in sandwich bags lying on a table. No, I had not, so I brought home four Christmas cards that someone had left for us to take home.

So, now I have a bag of four cards, a ham and cheese sandwich from lunch, and two books. I ate the sandwich, will use the Christmas cards, and may dump the books!

My ear has been hurting all week. Doctor said nothing was wrong with it. ??? I suppose it could be a tooth, but I have been pecking the tooth--nothing. Plus, the other ear is starting to hurt.

Why are free books always boring or horrid books? Have you ever planted onions?--the little tiny onions?

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The Cast

Fancy is my favorite hen. She is one of the three youngest hens I adopted. Because she is so gentle and friendly, she may be the one I rescued when she was being pecked to death after she could no longer stand. She got to live in the house in a box. Sometimes, I let her sit in my lap while she was convalescing. Now, she comes to sit in the swing with me, cuddling up to my body like a cat or dog. She died in February 2012.

Fancy follows me begging, complaining, needing me to do for her. She talks to me in various voices. She allows me to pick her up and carry her. When she became an adult, her head was a darker red and her body was light brown. Around her neck were tips of black feathers. It appeared she had a necklace of jet around her neck. When I showed this characteristic to a friend, he said, "Oh, you have fancy chickens and plain chickens."

Chessie has a broken toe. I broke it! She had a habit of jumping really high and almost sticking. A raccoon ate her in October 2009.

Thelma is the blonde. She is also the largest hen and the alpha hen. I suspect the gigantic eggs are from her. She often squats and presents herself to me. She is top hen, but I suspect she knows she had better be deferent to top feeder of the flock--me.

Louise is the auburn-feathered hen. She looks like the true Rhode Island Reds in pictures. She is almost as large as Thelma. Some days I suspect she is trying to be top chicken. When I got Pepper, I found out Louise is the Alpha hen.

Pepper came here from the same home as the first four. We were discussing putting red pepper on their food, wondering if it really would increase egg production. Pepper is the only name we agreed on. She is terrorized each day by Louise. Even after the worst was over, she was and is still filled with terror and very wary.

Linda is owned by four hens. They allow her to fetch for them. She loves them dearly, so she allows them to boss her around. Linda comes out in the rain to perform chores for them and make sure they have food and water. She begs scraps from all sorts of places to make sure they have fresh fruits and vegetables.

Parsimony is not a vegetable

Parsimony is extreme care in spending money. Stick around and learn about my random thoughts on accomplishing goals economically--dumpster diving aka safari, gleaning, do-it-yourself, sewing tips, recipes, and whatever is happening in my life.

Okay so maybe "parsimony" is not your thing. How about thrift, frugality or just plain saving money? I try not to go the tightwad route as that seems to imply others will suffer from my habits.

Some of my not-spending habits have very much been a part of my lifelong habits. Other habits are newly acquired and are an extension of my lifelong not-spending habits.

I am very imaginative when it comes to substituting or making instead of buying. I will tell you about making a heater for the chickens' water. Not one dime was spent since I had everything I needed right in my basement.

Practicality must rear its head alongside parsimony. For example, I will use the dryer in bad weather or because of allergies in the spring. But, I will not wash clothes in a tub as long as I have a washing machine or can find one.

You may hear more about my four Rhode Island Red hens than you care to hear. They lay delicious brown eggs.

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Sunday, November 11, 2018

SAD and Free Things Last Week and Onions